Minimize Cyber Risk within Dental Support Organizations

Mitigating cyber risk isn’t just something for your IT team to worry about. Incidents like data breaches or ransom attacks affect everyone in your organization. Cyberattacks put confidential patient information at risk and often incur massive financial losses, both from the attack itself and recovery afterward. In many cases, a multi-location DSO can expect to lose anywhere between $1 million to $5 million when the cost of recovery is factored in.

That’s not even mentioning the fact that on average, employees will spend two weeks unable to perform their duties, treat patients, or access the information they need after a cyberattack. As a DSO, you can’t afford to lose two weeks’ worth of production revenue. You really can’t afford for sensitive patient information to be leaked out onto the Dark Web. And if you’re backed by private equity, you definitely don’t want to come before your board and tell them that hundreds of thousands/or millions of dollars are down the drain because of an attack.

Threat actors are becoming more advanced every day with the advent of new technologies like artificial intelligence. From phishing scams to malware injections, the arsenal of attack vectors grows more diverse and insidious. As such, DSOs must remain vigilant, implementing multifaceted defense strategies that encompass not only technical safeguards but also comprehensive training programs to educate staff about potential threats. Now more than ever, it’s absolutely imperative that DSOs practice cyber due diligence and take proactive measures against potential crimes. Your IT team alone isn’t enough to prevent these attacks from happening. By taking steps to practice risk management before a threat even appears, you can rest assured that your data is secure and your business can continue running smoothly without interruption.

Potential Threats Multiply as Your Company Grows

You might think that your DSO’s size doesn’t warrant a more advanced cybersecurity solution. You’d be wrong! In fact, hackers intentionally target small to medium sized companies because they assume that these companies will not have the security measures in place to withstand a cyberattack. Healthcare companies in particular have witnessed a recent surge in attacks.

As your company onboards more tools, hires more people, expands into more offices, and accumulates a larger volume of patient records, the threat of cybercrime goes up exponentially. The number of offices and people in your DSO, and the amount of data you store, makes up your attack surface. The bigger that surface is, the greater your vulnerability.

Many DSOs aren’t even aware of the size or scope of their attack surface. They assume that whatever security measures their IT company puts into place will suffice in the event of a breach, and because they have no idea what the size of their attack surface is, they don’t realize that these security measures will fall short in the face of an experienced threat actor. Even if your DSO seems modest in scale, the implications of a cybersecurity breach are usually severe. Your IT company is not equipped to handle the type of threats your organization will face. In fact, they are often relying on outdated technology, and may not understand how threat actors operate or how to build a robust security defense.

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The Landscape of Cyber Threats for Dental Organizations

One of the biggest cybercrime threats specific to DSOs is something called data exfiltration. Data exfiltration occurs when threat actors preemptively steal all of the data that they’re able to from your organization—usually 100% of your data—and hold that data hostage until you pay their requested ransom. If you don’t pay the amount they want in the time they want, they’ll immediately release all of that data. That means hundreds, sometimes thousands, of addresses, full names, Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, and insurance cards are all floating around ready to be accessed by anyone.

Nowadays, threat actors are taking this incredibly harmful act a step further. Because the data that DSOs store is so valuable, hackers will sell the data on the dark web for people who want to commit identity theft. They will also often contact the patients involved in the data breach directly to let them know that their personal information is at risk and demand that they contact the DSO entity or practice to force payment.

The other unique issue that DSOs face when it comes to cyberattacks is ending up on the “Wall of Shame.” This is a website hosted by the Office of Civil Rights that displays a list of all companies who have had data breaches that affect 500 or more individuals. It goes without saying that it’s a PR nightmare to have your company’s name end up on the Wall of Shame—when people look up your DSO, one of the first things they’ll see is that list, informing them that their confidential data may not be safe if they work with you.

Building a Resilient Cybersecurity Framework

Key Components of a Cybersecurity Plan

Knowing that threats against DSOs are high and the repercussions of a successful breach are severe, it’s absolutely imperative to have a strong cybersecurity strategy in place so that you don’t end up in the high-stress situation of recovering from an attack. What does that look like?

It's important to understand that a powerful cybersecurity plan isn’t simply about bulking up your defenses and waiting for an attack to happen. The best plans will involve proactive measures before a threat is even on the horizon. Performing a security risk assessment to determine your DSO’s vulnerability is the foundation of a great cybersecurity strategy. Performing a regular cadence of risk assessments in partnership with cybersecurity experts is even better.
Develop an incident response plan. If and when an attempted data breach occurs, you need to know ahead of time what the immediate next steps are, such as who is responsible for addressing the breach and who is responsible for communicating the event to relevant parties. Creating a custom incident plan with your cybersecurity team equips your DSO to seamlessly handle an attack and enables quick action, which is vital when an attack is happening.
Once you understand the scope of your risk and have an incident response plan in place, it’s time to implement improved security measures as well as continuous monitoring. Security measures stop threat actors before they can access valuable data, and continuous monitoring ensures that you’re receiving real-time updates and reports. Updates alert you to potential threats, while reports help you analyze areas of weakness.

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Best Practices in Cyber Risk Management

Effective cybersecurity risk management involves taking several actions across your DSO for the most optimal outcome.

One of the most important things you can do is to evaluate your current software and compare it to what’s currently on the market. Most organizations use outdated software, and if they do apply patch updates, they may forget to apply it to all computers within the organization. This easily leads to rejected insurance claims and weakened security.
Next, be sure to audit all of the software and tools your DSO uses, even if you may not interact with them regularly. Frequent system-wide audits enable you to optimize your operations while also addressing any potential vulnerabilities, as well as solidifying standard operating procedures.
The last step—and one of the most impactful steps you can take—is to conduct a penetration test with third party security experts. They will use all the tools that hackers currently employ to try to exploit and access your network, and afterwards they’ll deliver a report on areas of weakness along with recommendations for immediate improvements.

Technology Solutions for Enhanced Security

Now that we’ve covered how to build a robust cybersecurity strategy and best practices to utilize when building that strategy, it’s time to look at technology solutions you can implement to bring your DSO enhanced security. Today there are a number of ways that you can make it harder for a threat actor to take over your network.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one of the easiest tools to get started with. Because MFA codes are time-sensitive and not reusable, they are much less susceptible to cyber attacks, unlike passwords that are used regularly for logging in. They add an extra layer of protection that a threat actor must try to get past before they can access any sensitive data.
Data encryption is another excellent way to boost security. Once data is encrypted, the only way to decode the encryption and uncover the data is with a key provided by either a person or system. Encryption is an especially powerful defense against potential attacks because, although it is theoretically possible to decode it without a key, it would take so much time and computing power that most hackers won’t attempt it.
Deploying a network monitoring tool is also extremely effective because it will analyze all of the incoming data from your network, spot vulnerabilities, identify trends, determine if an attack is ongoing, and send alerts when any unusual activity occurs. Introducing network monitoring in your DSO means you will know exactly what’s happening and when it’s happening. This is absolutely vital in the event of an active attack, as time is of the essence.

See what our clients are saying!

“The threat landscape in our industry is constantly evolving and changing. We needed a partner that would be able to expand as we grow, and that had a security-first, zero-trust mindset. We feel more prepared to grow as a DSO as a result of Black Talon's timely and professional approach to IT security and compliance.”

Andy Taylor | Sr. Director of IT, Dentive

Ensuring Compliance and Business Continuity

Did you know that not having appropriate cyber security measures in place could have serious implications for your HIPAA compliance? Healthcare organizations can face devastating consequences if it is determined that they did not take the appropriate steps to ensure compliance with HIPAA standards.

The HIPAA security rule states that companies must take all appropriate measures to protect electronically stored health information within reason. What this means is that while entities like DSOs are not required to use certain tools such as encryption, they must document the security measures that they do implement. They must also explain why they chose or declined to use those tools. If it is determined that there was a lack of proper documentation, or that they could have prevented a data breach but chose not to, they may be fined up to $25,000 per violation.

The other compliance issue that can arise is that if you experience a data breach and you have patients from several different states, you are now dealing with multiple regulatory bodies who will be coming to you and investigating the situation. Each regulatory body is going to have a different set of standards that you may have violated, as well as a variety of consequences they will impose for those violations. Instead of dealing with just one violation and one fine, your practice is now dealing with multiple violations and weeks of downtime. Robust cybersecurity is crucial to avoid scenarios like these and ensure your organization’s business continuity.

Cybersecurity Training: Empowering Your Team

Cybersecurity training for employees is the next line of defense in safeguarding your DSO from the ever-growing threat landscape of cyberattacks. Employees are frequently the weakest link in an organization’s security strategy—human error and lack of awareness can accidentally expose sensitive data and compromise systems.

Comprehensive cybersecurity training programs educate your employees about common tactics like malware, social engineering attacks, password vulnerabilities, and phishing scams. This empowers them to recognize and respond appropriately to potential risks. By understanding some of the advanced tricks threat actors deploy to gain trust, employees can proactively spot an attack in the making and immediately alert the rest of the organization.

Cybersecurity training also helps employees better understand their role in maintaining a secure environment and encourages them to consciously mitigate risks. Simulated phishing exercises and ongoing education sessions ensure that employees remain informed about the latest security best practices and emerging threats. Ultimately, investing in cybersecurity training for your DSO strengthens your defense against cyberattacks and provides less opportunity for threat actors to access valuable health information.

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Incident Response: Reacting to Cyber Threats

Immediate Steps Post-Breach

But what happens when you do experience a data breach? Preparing an action plan for what to do immediately after a breach is just as important as preparing a defense strategy. The reality is that sometimes the worst case scenario comes true, and when it does, you need to know exactly what to do so that you can minimize the damage as much as possible.

Activate the Incident Response Team
First and foremost, your Incident Response Team must jump onto the scene. This may be a combination of cybersecurity experts, your IT team, and senior management. You will work together to enact the post-breach response and begin communication with all relevant parties.
Contain the Breach
Next, you need to contain the breach ASAP. Isolate affected systems, shut down compromised accounts, and disable access to sensitive data to prevent further unauthorized access and/or data loss.
Assess the Impact
Once the breach is contained, it’s time to take a step back and assess the scope and severity of the breach. How many people were affected? What are the regulatory implications? How many systems and/or accounts were compromised?
Notify Relevant Authorities
After assessing the impact, alert all relevant authorities such as the Department of Health and Human Services, FBI, and local authorities if needed in order to ensure regulatory compliance as quickly as possible.
Notify Affected Individuals and Stakeholders
Communicate immediately with every patient impacted by the data breach and let them know actions they can take now to protect themselves. This is also the time to let your stakeholders know what happened and the steps you’re taking to handle the situation.
Engage with Law Enforcement and Legal Counsel
Work with law enforcement agencies to investigate the breach, gather evidence, and potentially pursue legal action against the perpetrators. Collaborate with your legal team as well to navigate the legal implications of the breach and ensure that you have complied with notification laws.
Implement Remediation Measures
Deploy remediation measures to prevent the incident from happening again. This might look like patching software vulnerabilities, updating out-of-date tools, improving access controls, and/or enhancing employee training programs.
Monitor for Further Activity
Finally, monitor systems and networks for any further signs of attack.

Role of the Cyber Incident Response Team

Having an excellent response team is critical to successfully surviving a data breach. Your cyber incident response team should ideally be made up of cybersecurity specialists, legal counsel, senior management, and your DSO’s IT team. Partnering with cybersecurity experts means that the rest of your team will have the resources they need to move quickly, mitigate the breach’s impact, and restore normal operations.

Their primary responsibilities include swiftly identifying and containing the breach to prevent further unauthorized access or data loss, conducting a thorough investigation to determine the scope and severity of the breach, and assessing the potential impact on affected individuals, systems, and data. The team works closely with internal stakeholders and external partners, such as law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies, to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including data breach notification laws, and collaborate on forensic analysis and evidence gathering. Additionally, the incident response team oversees remediation efforts to address vulnerabilities, strengthen security controls, and prevent future incidents, while also managing communication with stakeholders to ensure transparency, provide timely updates, and minimize reputational damage. Through their coordinated efforts, the cyber incident response team plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the organization's assets, restoring trust, and guiding the organization through the recovery process following a data breach.

Future-Proofing Your Dental Organization

Now more than ever, DSOs need to stay updated on the latest cybersecurity trends and threats and respond accordingly. As technology continues to evolve, so does your ability to fight off threat actors—but only if you choose to take advantage of the security tools and resources available. When you make sure that your security strategy is constantly evolving, you’re making sure that your business is successful and trustworthy.

Is Your DSO Prepared for Evolving Cyber Threats? Explore Black Talon’s cybersecurity solutions tailored for the healthcare industry and ensure your dental organization is equipped to manage risks and protect patient data.

Resources for Cybersecurity Excellence in DSOs

Ready to pursue cybersecurity excellence? Black Talon Security is the most trusted cyber partner for DSOs of all sizes. Our top-tier cybersecurity solutions along with our EAGLEi cyber risk management tool, paired with credentialed security experts who understand your workflows and where your organization is most at risk of a cyberattack is what your DSO needs to stay safe.

Be sure to visit our Cybersecurity Resources page on our website as well, where you can listen to the Specialty Dental Brands podcast, read about best practices, and more.

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